Punishment in an Engineering School!

“Then what happens in Army? I want to know what happens in Army. Are they not given punishment?” He rotated his chair 30 degree and asked his deputy and a fellow faculty, “what do you suggest, monetary punishment or physical?” The Assistant Dean was feeling great, he felt like a hero. It was impossible to identify the real culprit in a campus of 3000 odd students. But he had caught the security guards off guard for neglecting in their duty. Assistant Dean, an aspirant of the vacant post of Dean gave his verdict, “a student who could draw specs on the face of Newton, can do murder his science teacher”. And with sadness in his voice he commented further “this mishap could be avoided if those guards were more vigilant”. The other faculty was not sure whether the student who of course did a mischief was seriously capable of killing his teacher; he cleared his throat and said ‘let me call Colonel’. Everybody agreed. Director shouted ‘why Colonel is not there? Where is the campus security in charge?’

Colonel was a retired engineer from Army. Looks like the next door grandpa. His toothless face makes him look even older. He has been appointed Campus Administrator because of his Colonel tag. He was not in the campus the previous day due to loose stomach. Colonel enters the scene with his security in charge. Unanimously it was agreed that on humanitarian ground the poor security guards should not be fined. They will have to run from the main gate to the canteen and back in the scorching Sun of May. It was just about 5 Kilometres. Someone, probably the security in charge murmured once that some of the guards were heart patients. In the chaos Director heard ‘heart patients’ as ‘ hat be’( they would walk). He said with a dictatorial voice ‘keu hatbe na’ ( no one will walk). “They will complete the run in ten minutes. I will count in my watch.”

Suddenly there were two calls one after the other in the Directors landline and mobile. Director said in his mobile “Union problem? Okay! I see, I will look for alternatives to punish those idiots”. While attending the other call, the 64 years old Director was perspiring a lot but with an authoritative tone he ordered all in the room “Let’s rush to the department, students are threatening to boycott class, can you imagine the audacity?”